Anemone Is Not The Enemy
🌟 THE 2021 CBCA HONOUR WINNER FOR EARLY CHILDHOOD
Anemone lives alone in the
rock pool. The tide comes in and
the tide goes out.
All Anemone wants is a friend,
but friends are hard to make
when you accidentally sting
everyone who comes near you.
Perhaps Clownfish has a solution
to the problem . . .
‘…a feast for little readers’ senses.’
—CBCA Reading Time
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Published By Scribble (Scribe)
CMYK and Neon Pink
Hardback RRP $24.99 AUD
Australia & NZ – out now
USA & Canada – out now
UK & Ireland – out now
South America – coming soon
Spain – coming soon
The Idea
The idea for Anemone is Not the Enemy began with the title. I felt like there was a story there. Still, it wasn't until one day, on a flight up to Brisbane, I looked out the window down at the coastline and had the idea of the tide rising and falling in a rock pool as a unique plot driver which unlocked the whole story for me.
This book is like a play/theatre set, told almost purely in dialogue with only the characters and tide height changing from scene to scene. I built interest, pace and visual breaks by including two white and neon 'sting pages' and a dark 'despair page'. The final spread shows the rock pool zoomed out – revealing to the reader the answer to Anemone's earlier questions about the ocean beyond.
I hope that readers of this book will discover that if you can empathise with this little sea-creature, you can empathise with people you encounter that may struggle socially. I also hope this book will lead to greater curiosity about coastal rock pools. It's a fascinating world of its own, and I've included some facts on the last page for curious young minds.
Activities
Download the activity sheet using the link below.
About the creator
Anna McGregor is a creator of modern, quirky and conceptual stories with humour and heart. Since beginning her career as a graphic designer, Anna is now emerging as an award-winning picture book author/illustrator.
Anna has a deep curiosity of all things and finds her ideas by turning the mundane on its head, merging ideas or exploring wordplay — but always with a story that connects to the human experience.